The Windows on ARM ecosystem has taken a giant leap forward. Microsoft has confirmed that its Works on Windows on Arm database now boasts over 7.000 verified applications and games, a milestone reached just before the arrival of the first devices powered by NVIDIA's RTX Spark chip, expected this fall. The company describes this moment as a turning point: the platform is no longer an experimental project but a first-class option for any workload.
This announcement is no coincidence. The expansion of the product catalog coincides with NVIDIA's entry as the second major silicon manufacturer for Windows on ARM, breaking the monopoly that Qualcomm had maintained with its Snapdragon X processors. The combination of more compatible software and more players in the hardware market paints a picture in which the ARM architecture begins to compete head-to-head with the traditional x86 architecture of Intel and AMD.
Over 7.000 verified apps: what does that really mean?
The figure of 7.000 verified applications is a significant milestone, but it needs some clarification. Not all of them are native applications written in ARM64 code . The number includes both software compiled specifically for this architecture and programs that function correctly through Prism, the emulation layer integrated into Windows 11. Microsoft maintains that around 90% of usage time on ARM devices is now for native versions, although emulation remains a crucial buffer for older or specialized software.
The catalog has expanded in several directions. In the productivity section, tools such as Cursor, Microsoft Power BI, ShareX, Proton Drive, and WPS Office have been added. For content creators, the list includes Canva's Affinity, Discord, Inkscape, MAGIX VEGAS Pro, Maxon Redshift, Signal, and the Perplexity Comet browser. The STEM and education sectors also receive verified support for Arduino IDE, DBeaver, MathWorks MATLAB, Project Jupyter Notebook, and QGIS QField. In enterprise security, solutions such as Acronis Cyber ​​Protect, Cisco Duo, Sophos Endpoint Security, and Surfshark Antivirus have been certified, allowing for a security comparison among the best antivirus programs for Windows 11.
The Works on Windows on Arm website, which draws on Microsoft's compatibility data, has become the go-to resource for checking which software works on these systems. The platform uses compatibility data provided by Microsoft itself and serves as a guide for users and businesses before making the switch to an ARM device. Even so, experts point out that verified compatibility does not guarantee identical performance to that of an x86 PC in all cases, especially with demanding applications or those that rely on specific drivers.
NVIDIA RTX Spark: the second major silicon supplier
The hardware milestone that provides context for this announcement occurred a few months ago, when NVIDIA unveiled its RTX Spark superchip at the GTC conference during Computex. This SoC, developed in collaboration with MediaTek, combines a 20-core ARM Grace CPU with an NVIDIA Blackwell RTX GPU featuring 6.144 CUDA cores and fifth-generation Tensor cores. The combined AI power reaches up to 1 petaflop and supports 128 GB of unified memory, enough to locally run language models with up to 120.000 billion parameters.
The arrival of RTX Spark has a dual strategic meaning. On the one hand, NVIDIA is bringing the CUDA and RTX ecosystem to Windows laptops for the first time , a huge draw for developers, creators, and gamers. On the other hand, it breaks the monopoly that Qualcomm had held over Windows on ARM since 2024 with its Snapdragon X family. Qualcomm will remain the dominant player in terms of volume and mid-range markets, but it is no longer the only entry point to ARM for Windows.
The first devices with RTX Spark will arrive in the fall of 2026, with models from Microsoft Surface, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and MSI. The list of manufacturers confirms that the initiative isn't limited to a single design or brand, but rather aims to cover different form factors and price ranges. Acer and GIGABYTE have also joined the initiative, although with a more discreet presence in the initial announcements.
Gaming, the unfinished business that is starting to be passed
One of the biggest historical obstacles for Windows on ARM has been gaming. Anti-cheat systems, which operate at the kernel level, were often incompatible with emulation, preventing many multiplayer titles from playing. NVIDIA took advantage of Gamescom 2026 to announce that Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Embark Studios are joining RTX Spark support, adding to the list of companies like Riot Games, Xbox, and Krafton.
EA will bring its Javelin anti-cheat technology to the platform, enabling play on popular titles like Apex Legends and F1 25. Embark Studios will adapt The Finals and ARC Raiders, while Ubisoft has confirmed the arrival of Anno 117: Pax Romana. Compatibility with security systems is especially important in competitive games , where any limitations can prevent a title from functioning correctly. NVIDIA claims its new hardware will allow gameplay at 1440p at 100 frames per second, with ray tracing and DLSS, helping those looking to easily boost their game performance on Windows 11.
The gaming industry's support extends beyond these names. SEGA, Capcom, Epic Games, KONAMI, and CD Projekt RED have also shown their support for the platform. Microsoft, for its part, launched the Xbox app for all ARM-based Windows 11 PCs in early 2026 and confirmed that over 85% of the Game Pass catalog is compatible with these systems. Even so, experts point out that graphics performance will depend on the specific hardware and that occasional incompatibilities may still arise.
Prism, the emulation layer that changes everything
The other pillar of Windows on ARM's status as a first-class platform is technical and has been years in the making: the Prism emulation layer. Since the 2024 24H2 update, Prism has allowed x86 and x64 applications to run without recompiling. In 2025, Microsoft added support for the AVX and AVX2 extensions, a crucial change because many game engines and professional software require these instructions and, until then, refused to run on ARM.
The August announcement also confirms that Prism has been specifically tuned for the RTX Spark microarchitecture , promising better emulated performance on the new devices than on current Snapdragon processors. Microsoft's strategy is for emulation to be a buffer, not a permanent solution; the goal is for more and more applications to run natively, because more native apps mean better battery life, less heat, and fewer crashes.
The distinction between native and emulated software will remain important for professional users who rely on specialized tools, plugins, or complex workflows. In such cases, the mere presence of an application in the catalog is insufficient; stability, peripheral support, and the behavior of advanced features are also crucial. Microsoft acknowledges that certain peripherals may still depend on ARM-specific drivers, and some printer or professional device installers may encounter issues.
The market is changing course
Analyst figures paint a picture of structural change. TrendForce projects that ARM laptop penetration will reach 34,2% of the market by 2029, including Windows on ARM, Apple's M-series laptops, and Chromebooks. Counterpoint estimates 33% by 2030. In the premium segment, Qualcomm surpassed 10% of US retail sales by December 2025, according to Circana, the fastest growth of a non-Intel/AMD architecture in the history of Windows PCs.
The most direct impact falls on Intel and AMD. The x86 duopoly, untouchable for four decades, now faces a four-player landscape : Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and NVIDIA. Intel is the most exposed, with its PC chip business generating $7.700 billion in the first fiscal quarter of 2026, more than half of its total revenue, in a quarter that ended with a net loss of $3.700 billion. AMD is better protected because its data center business already surpasses its client business, but the premium laptop segment is hotly contested.
It's important to keep things in perspective, though. ARM's most optimistic projections are measured over a decade, and the total number of ARM laptops sold still represents a fraction of the market. Furthermore, there are uncertainties that are holding back growth: anti-cheat and kernel-level drivers remain the frontier for gaming and specialized software; memory prices have driven up the cost of high-end systems; and the launch of RTX Spark comes with a distinctly premium, not mainstream, positioning.
Microsoft is also working on a feature called IntelligentCarveout, currently hidden in an experimental version of Windows 11, which will allow users to decide how much unified memory to allocate to AI and graphics tasks. This option, similar to what AMD offers through its drivers, could become a unified system for all platforms with unified memory, such as the upcoming RTX Spark.
